Can contractors take Defense Security Cooperation University courses?

Activities undertaken by the DoD to encourage and enable international partners to work with the United States to achieve strategic objectives. It includes all DoD interactions with foreign defense and security establishments, including all DoD-administered security assistance programs, that: build defense and security relationships that promote specific U.S. security interests, including all international armaments cooperation activities and security assistance activities; develop allied and friendly military capabilities for self-defense and multinational operations; and provide U.S. forces with peacetime and contingency access to host nations.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Military Departments, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Combatant Commands, the DoD Office of the Inspector General, the Defense agencies, and DoD field activities.

A group of programs authorized by federal statutes by which the United States provides defense articles, military training, and other defense-related services by grant, lease, loan, credit, or cash sales in furtherance of national policies and objectives, and those that are funded and authorized through the Department of State to be administered by Department of Defense/Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which are considered part of security cooperation.

A unified or specified command with a broad continuing mission under a single commander established and so designated by the President, through the Secretary of Defense and with the advice and assistance of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Also called CCMD.

Principal DoD official in a U.S. embassy, as designated by the Secretary of Defense. The SDO or DATT is the Chief of Mission's principal military advisor on defense and national security issues, the senior diplomatically accredited DoD military officer assigned to a diplomatic mission, and the single point of contact for all DoD matters involving the embassy or DoD elements assigned to or working from the embassy. The SDO or DATT is considered the dual-hatted chief of both the Security Cooperation Organization and Defense Attaché Office in the embassy. This position was established by DoDD 5205.75, Department of Defense Operations at U.S. Embassies, December 21, 2007. The same document gives coordinating authority (see glossary definition) to the SDO or DATT for the purpose of ensuring that all DoD elements in a country are working in consonance with each other and under the guidance of the Chief of Mission. The SDO or DATT program replaces the now defunct U.S. Defense Representative model.